PORTLAND, Ore. — As he stood waiting for backup, holding the couple at gunpoint, Terry Uhrich watched the two murder suspects exchange a kiss. And the worst-case scenario flashed through the mind of the California Highway Patrol officer.

"You don't know if it's, 'We're going to jail, let's kiss each other while we can,' or 'Let's kiss because we are going to get out and do this thing,'" he said. "It could have gone way more south."